Manually operated boat propulsion means



May 20, 1958 Fig.

J. C. NEWBERRY MANUALLY OPERATED BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed Nov. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Newberry Joseph 0.

. JNVEN TOR.

May 20, 1958 J. c. NEWBERRY 2,335,217

MANUALLY OPERATED BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed Nov. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/II/III Joseph 6. Newberry INVENTOR.-

BY M

MANUALLY' OPERATED BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Joseph C. Newberry, Geneva, Ala.

Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,371

2 Claims. (Cl. 115-24) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in propulsion means for rowboats or other small water craft and more particularly to a manually operated propeller mechanism.

An important object of the invention is to provide a manually operated propeller supported on a clamping device adapted for easily and quickly attaching to the transom or stem of a rowboat or other small water craft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sup- I porting frame for the propulsion mechanism and includto manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section along the line taken substantially at 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on the lines 6-6 and 77 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a frame which includes a vertical support 6 preferably of tubular metal to the lower end of which an arm 7 is secured and to the upper end of which a gear housing 8 is secured.

A front shaft housing 9 projects forwardly from housing 8 and a rear shaft housing 10 extends rearwardly from the housing 8. A shaft 11 is journaled in the front housing 9 and to the front end of which a crank handle 12 is secured for turning the shaft 11. A shaft 13 is United States Patent 0 2,835,217 Patented May 20, 1958 journaled in the rear housing 10 and is driven by a shaft 11 through the medium, of gearing designated generally at 14, and of a conventional speed increasing type to drive shaft 13 at a greater speed relative to shaft 11.

A beveled gear 15 is secured to the rear end of shaft 13 and engages a beveled gear 16 which. is secured to the upper end of a vertical propeller shaft 17 which is journaled in a vertical shaft housing 18. An angle iron bracket 19 is supported on the shaft 13 and is provided with a downwardly extending bushing 20 in which the upper end of propeller shaft 17 is journaled. The bushing is formed with an external annular groove 21 and the upper end of the housing 18 is sleeved over the bushing and provided with a thumb screw 22 engaged in the groove 21 to secure the housing 18 for turning movement on the bushing 20.

The rear end of arm 7 is formed with a sleeve 23 from which a tubular housing 24 projects radially and in which a ball catch 25 isretained by a screw 26 threaded in the outer end of the tubular housing and with a coil spring 27 positioned between the screw and the ball 25 to urge the ball in yieldable locking engagement selectively in a circumferential row of recesses 28 formed in the housing 18. i

A handle 29 ext-ends upwardly and forwardly from housing 18 to turn the latter about its vertical axis.

A gear housing 30 is attached to the lower end of shaft housing 18 and from which a shaft 31 projects rearwardly and having a propeller 32 secured thereto.

An angle iron bracket 33 is welded or otherwise secured to the support 6 and is formed with a tubular bear ing 34 having a hinge pin 35 journaled therein. A yoke 36 is formed at its upper end with a pair of C-clarnps 37 and 38 which are swingably mounted on the outer end portion of the hinge pin 35 and each of the clamps is provided with a clamping screw 39 for securing the clamps to the upper edge of a transom or stern board 40 of a rowboat or other small water craft.

A coil spring 41 connects the vertical housing 18 to the bracket 33 to hold the propeller downwardly in the water while the crank handle 12 is being manually operated.

The turning of the crank handle 12 will drive the propeller 32 and the propeller may be locked in a swingably adjusted position to steer the boat in a desired course by turning the propeller shaft 18 by means of the handle 29 to selectively engage the ball catch 25 in a desired notch 28 in the shaft housing 18.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A boat propulsion device comprising a vertical support adapted to be attached to a boat transom, attaching means on said support intermediate its ends, a horizontal arm fixed to and extending from the lower end of the support, a vertical shaft housing journaled intermediate its ends in said arm for rotation in laterally spaced relation to the support into different adjusted position, a propeller on the lower end of said shaft housing horizontally swingable into angular positions by rotation of the shaft housing, a vertical propeller shaft extending through said shaft housing and operatively connected to said propeller, a crank operative gear drive on the upper end of said support including a horizontal driven shaft, a pair of bevel gears operatively connecting the driven shaft to the propeller shaft including a bevel gear on the upper end of the propeller shaft, means suspended from the driven shaft journalling the upper end of the propeller shaft below the gear thereon to rotatably suspend the propeller shaft, and means on said suspended means and on said shaft housing rotatably supporting said shaft housing.

2. The combination of claim 1, said suspended means comprising an angle bracket on the driven shaft having 21 depending bushing on which shaft housing is rotatably suspended.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,399,906 Bentley May 7, 1946 10 2,684,045 Cato July 20, 1954 688,299 Gload et a1. Sept. 7, 1954 

